Newscorp to push MySpace as gaming platform

Hopes to re-invigorate social site

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MySpace to extend gaming section

Newscorp has announced plans to increase efforts to make MySpace an attractive entertainment destination, and will push gaming on the site as a result.

In the face of an increased gap in terms of users between it and social networking site Facebook, owner Newscorp says it's the perfect place for developers to launch games and learn more about their targeted demographic.

"MySpace is and will be more in the future a gaming platform, a space for people to meet and play games," said News Corp digital head Jonathan Miller at the Fortune Brainstorm: TECH conference in the US.

"If you look at the big activities online, games right now is number three. Communications, search, games. So it's clearly going to be a major focus."

Bridging the gap

The gap between MySpace and Facebook is growing, with the latter having nearly two and a half times the unique users at 307 million. Newscorp's site is also under growing pressure from Twitter, which has seen explosive growth in the last year.

To that end, MySpace has increased its efforts into other areas, such as MySpace Video, Music and soon Mail, with Miller thinking the gaming area will be a strong pull for audiences that can already play collaboratively through the site.

"None of the traditional media conglomerates are also significant video game players, so to speak, and I think that that's the missing piece of the equation, particularly when you see how much time is spent playing games online," he added.